Geoffrey Bramblett Named To Golden Spikes Watch List
Alabama Crimson Tide Pitcher Geoffrey Bramblett
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
Bramblett is 3-2 on the season, while the Tide is 6-3 in his starts. He sports a 2.09 ERA (13 ER/56.0 IP) that ranks fifth in the SEC. He has struck out 53 batters compared to only 16 walks and has issued two or fewer free passes in all but three starts this season.
Bramblett has compiled a 16-7 record with a 3.21 ERA (69 ER/193.1 IP) in his three seasons with the Crimson Tide. The Hoover, Alabama native has struck out 171 compared to only 60 walks and has limited opposing hitters to a lowly .228 average.
Sixty of the nation's top amateur players from the high school and college ranks comprise the mid-season watch list. The Golden Spikes Award Advisory Board will continue to maintain a rolling list of athletes, allowing players to play themselves into consideration for the award before announcing the semifinalists on June 1st.
The semifinalists for the 2016 Golden Spikes Award will be announced by USA Baseball on Wednesday, June 1st. The list of semifinalists will be sent to a voting body consisting of past USA Baseball National Team coaches and press officers, current USA Baseball staff and the 38 previous winners of the award, representing a group of more than 200 voters.
The 2016 Golden Spikes Award winner will be named on Thursday, June 30, at a presentation in Los Angeles, with ESPN serving as the programming sponsor.
Congratulations, Geoffrey!
-----------------------------------
Tide Softball Defeats South Alabama 4-2
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
It was a close call. But close is good enough when it's a victory. A two-run error in the fourth inning last night made the difference for the Crimson Tide's 4-2 win over South Alabama last night at Rhoads Stadium in Tuscaloosa.
The 39-8 Tide scored their four runs on six hits against the 26-13 Jags. Bama's Leona Lafaele was 2-of-3 at the plate on the day, including a big two-run home run.
Head softball coach Patrick Murphy said, "Leona is seeing the ball really well. She had a great weekend against Texas A&M and that carried over into today (Wednesday). Towards the end of the year, you need someone to do that. We just needed to put more people on in front of her tonight to score."
Sydney Littlejohn (18-3) picked up her 18th win of the year, with Alexis Osorio coming in for 2.2 innings of relief and getting her fifth save on the season.
-----------------------------------
Bama Baseball Suffers 8-2 Loss
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
Alabama Crimson Tide baseball didn't fare quite as well as the softball team last night, falling 8-2 to South Alabama at Sewell-Thomas Stadium in Tuscaloosa. Alabama falls to 23-15 on the season with the Wednesday loss.
Tide head baseball coach Mitch Gaspard said, "I thought the game got away from us there in the fourth when they ran up the five spot. They put some good at-bats together along with the double steal, and
we broke down in a couple spots. On the offensive end, we just didn't
generate enough. We had a few opportunities there and we just didn't put
enough good swings on it to pressure their defense."
Chandler Avant extended his hitting streak to seven games, with his streak for consecutive games at home with a hit rising to eight. Georgie Salem finished with a hit to extend his hitting streak to 10 games.
Next up for the Tide is a roadtrip to College Station, Texas. Alabama will take on the third-ranked Texas A&M Aggies for a three-game weekend series. The first pitch of Friday's contest will be at 6:30 p.m. CT, with Saturday's start scheduled for 2 p.m. CT. The Sunday finale will be at 1 p.m. CT. All three games will air live on SECN+.
-----------------------------------
4-Star OT Troxell Has The Tide In His Top 4 Schools
4-Star Madison Academy OT Austin Troxell
Madison Academy four-star offensive tackle Austin Troxell is a guy in demand. He is being heavily courted by the likes of Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss and Georgia. In fact, those four are his top picks, though he says the Crimson Tide and the the Tigers have a slight edge on the other two.
According to the 247Sports composite, the 6-foot-7-inch, 275-pound youngster is ranked No. 91 nationally, and is the No. 3 in the state of Alabama.
Concerning his visit to the A-Day game in Tuscaloosa this past Saturday, Troxell said, "It went good. I got to catch up with some coaches. Every time I go down there, it seems like a pretty good visit. It was great, talking with the coaches and seeing them play."
According to Al.com, Troxell said he's got a "pretty good relationship" with Alabama tackles and tight ends coach Mario Cristobal. He is said to also be building a relationship with new interior offensive lineman coach Brent Key.
Troxell says that the University of Alabama and Auburn University are the two schools that are recruiting him "hardest out of everyone."
Auburn is definitely in the mix. Though he didn't get to attend Auburn's A-Day game because of the ACT he had to take, he still is interested in the Tigers. He has a team mate there that is helping to lure the youngster to the Plains.
Troxelll says when it comes to selecting the school he wants to play for, it comes down to how he fits. He said, "I'm going to be there for awhile. That and the coaching staff, though that can change. Playing time doesn't really factor in. I do want to play, but I don't want schools to lie to me and tell me I'm going to start as a freshman because that's not going to happen." He realizes he'll have to compete for playing time no matter where he ends up.
Troxell suffered a torn ACL to his right knew in the first round of the Alabama Class 3A state playoffs last season and is currently rehabbing.
-----------------------------------
MLB Ignont Back In-State & Ranks Tide In Top 5
Photo Credit: espn.go.com
2017 four-star middle linebacker recruit Will Ignont has moved back to the state of Alabama. Ignont is now attending classes at Buckhorn after having moved back from Bradenton, Florida where he had earlier transferred to IMG Academy to play the remainder of his high school football.
Ignont says he has already heard from the head coaches at the University of Alabama as well as Auburn University. Ignont says that both Nick Saban and Gus Malzahn are pleased he's back in the state. Ignont is rated by Rivals as the No. 2 inside linebacker in the country, and has the youngster picking Georgia as his favorite, the Tigers as his second choice and the Crimson Tide as his fifth possibility.
-----------------------------------
Netori Johnson Shuns The Tide, Heads To Georgia
Photo Credit: 247Sports/Keith Niebuhr
It seems former Alabama defensive coordinator is still making some in-roads with Alabama recruits. Once committed to the Crimson Tide, 6' 3", 348-pound offensive guard prospect Netori Johnson unexpectedly committed to the Georgia Bulldogs. Of course to be fair, Johnson does attend high school at Cedar Grove H.S. in Ellenwood, Georgia.
Johnson had formerly been committed to the Crimson Tide from June 2015 to February 2016.
